Pei Ningyu propped his chin on his hand, staring absently at the reflection in the rippling liquor amidst the clamor of music and voices.
Aircraft, firearms, the warfront at the imperial fortress these were the only topics Gu Shize and the others ever discussed, cycling through them endlessly until Pei Ningyu found himself stifling a yawn, eyelids heavy with drowsiness.
His gaze wandered aimlessly until, by chance, it landed on a corner of the sofa.
There, a man who hadn’t even bothered to change out of his base uniform sat sprawled indecently, the top button of his collar undone, revealing a sculpted chest. In his arms was a delicate, androgynous boy, whose ethereal beauty shimmered under the dim lights as he lapped at the liquor spilled across the man’s skin.
Noticing Pei Ningyu’s attention, the man tilted the boy’s face toward him. The boy, obedient under the man’s grip, offered Pei Ningyu a sweet smile. “Ningyu, is this your type?”
Pei Ningyu’s interest flickered. “An omega?”
The young alphas around him burst into laughter.
A chorus of voices answered in unison, “How could he be an omega?”
Omegas these days were far too precious. The Empire practically enshrined them, doling them out to alphas based on lineage and military achievements, all to push those alphas onto the front lines. No omega would ever step foot in a place like this.
The man holding the boy gripped his neck, roughly yanking down his clothes to expose the smooth, glandless nape. “Just a beta.”
Pei Ningyu’s interest waned instantly. “Oh,” he muttered, disappointed.
Gu Shize approached from the other side of the private room, his gaze sweeping over Pei Ningyu’s cold, sharp eyes. “Wanting an omega is easy.”
With a snap of his fingers, he discreetly summoned a waiter, murmuring in a low, sticky voice, “Bring the drug.”
The drug.
What drug?
The silver tray presented by the waiter held a syringe filled with an eerie amber glow. The boy suddenly began trembling violently, his nails screeching against the tempered glass, but the alpha’s grip rendered him immobile. As the needle pierced his nape, his neck arched into a desperate, dying curve.
The pale-yellow liquid was slowly injected into the beta’s neck. His breathing grew ragged, soft whimpers escaping as the scent of citrus exploded through the room.
Pei Ningyu’s pupils constricted. The boy collapsed as if his bones had melted, legs spasming, knees scraping bloody trails across the Persian rug.
Every practiced omega mannerism now came unnaturally natural tears clinging to flushed lashes, sweet, pleading moans spilling from his throat, even the delicate curl of his fingers perfected.
“You can… mark me like an omega. there’ll be no difference…”
“Try it. I’ll serve you all well.”
Perhaps finding the beta beautiful, Pei Ningyu reached out to touch his head.
But before his fingers could make contact, a tortured scream tore from the beta’s throat. He crumpled to the floor, convulsing in violent spasms.
He thrashed his legs violently in response to the overwhelming pleasure that exceeded his physical limits, forced into heat like a true omega.
The beta collapsed to his knees, trembling pitifully, his pupils rolling back as he completely lost his senses under the alpha’s pheromones no trace left of his earlier elegance.
The beta screamed in disarray, “Ah! Ah… enough! Stop releasing pheromones!”
Fang Hongwen shot Gu Shize a questioning look. “Gu Shize, why did you suddenly release pheromones?”
“This beta was at his prettiest, and Pei Ningyu barely got to see it.”
Pei Ningyu, however, found the beta far less appealing now—limbs twisted in an absurd posture. He nudged the heat-stricken beta with the polished toe of his military boot and asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
“A new drug. It can temporarily induce beta into heat, just like an omega, even making them release pheromones,” Gu Shize smirked, his warm breath brushing against Pei Ningyu’s ear. “If the dosage is high enough, you might even see him…”
Pei Ningyu frowned, pressing the sole of his boot onto the beta’s fingers. The beta didn’t react at all already unconscious, eyes half-lidded and rolled back.
Watching the beta degrade from a person into a desire-driven animal, Pei Ningyu felt no trace of the protective pity one might have for an omega. Instead, disgust churned in his stomach.
His cold gaze swept over the beta before he remarked flatly, “How is this anything like an omega?”
“Disgusting.”
Pei Ningyu’s calm eyes scanned each face in the room. “What kind of taste do you all have?”
Somehow, despite their similar or even superior family backgrounds, Pei Ningyu had become the undisputed authority among them.
No one dared defy him under the sharp scrutiny of his striking beauty.
In their interactions, everyone inevitably gauged Pei Ningyu’s reactions, their bold words always laced with deference meant to please him.
Before Pei Ningyu’s disdainful words had even fully settled, someone immediately frowned and said, “Shize, have someone take this beta away. It really is revolting.”
Another chimed in, echoing Pei Ningyu’s sentiment, “Neither beta nor omega just a mess.”
The same people who had found it amusing moments ago now recoiled in disgust the moment Pei Ningyu spoke.
But Pei Ningyu had no time for their fickleness. A message had just flashed across his neural interface “Surprise incoming. 97362.”
–
97362 marked an encrypted location: the sixth underground level of the training base the Royal Correctional Facility.
Since last year, the Dimensional Training Base had relaxed its admission criteria, allowing commoners to enroll. In response, the noble-born alphas, under the absurd pretense of maintaining order, had established the Royal Correctional Facility underground.
Officially, it stood as a symbol of imperial authority, meant to discipline rule-breakers and ensure the empire’s brilliance shone upon every talent.
In reality, however, the Royal Correctional Facility had never served its intended purpose. Instead, it became a playground for these aristocratic alphas somewhere to “have fun.”
Upon receiving this message, Pei Ningyu’s expression of disgust and torment immediately gained a hint of interest. Of course, he knew exactly who had sent it.
Recently, he’d picked up a new “good dog” obedient, playful, and, most importantly, one that knew how to bite.
Pei Ningyu was naturally extremely satisfied with this latest “dog” by his side, so much so that he’d even ignored several invitations from Gu Shize and the others.
Though Gu Shize and the rest had grown up with him, their gatherings were always filled with tedious topics marriage alliances, politics, military affairs utterly boring.
These alphas, raised in gilded luxury, simply didn’t know how to have fun like those from the lower rungs.
Gu Shize and his circle had to constantly mind their “image” and maintain “dignity” in their amusements, terrified of causing a scandal. Yin Xishu, however, was different he had no bottom line when it came to currying Pei Ningyu’s favor.
To Pei Ningyu, amusing himself with that “dog” was far more entertaining than sitting around watching betas in heat with Gu Shize’s group. So, without hesitation, he made his decision.
Gu Shize, with his sharp dynamic vision, also caught the message. His brow furrowed imperceptibly.
But before he could speak, Pei Ningyu cut straight to the point: “Shize, Fang Hongwen, I have something to attend to.”
Gu Shize stiffened, turning to stare at Pei Ningyu in disbelief. He knew Pei Ningyu had been growing weary of them lately, but he hadn’t expected him to dismiss them so effortlessly without even bothering to fabricate an excuse.
Pei Ningyu’s pitch-black eyes lingered on Gu Shize for a fleeting moment, and in that instant, he actually saw something akin to hurt in the other man’s expression.
It made him look even more like that Bernese Mountain Dog.
Every time he visited his grandfather’s house, that dog would paw at him and tug at his clothes with its teeth when he tried to leave, refusing to let go until the servants lured it back inside with a bone.
But right now, he had no bone to offer.
Pei Ningyu’s gaze slid past him, deliberately ignoring Gu Shize. Even if he noticed the other’s distress, he felt no urge to soothe it. “Next time,” he said dismissively, already turning to leave.
Again.
Pei Ningyu had walked out early on them multiple times, not to mention the countless outright rejections.
They had all grown up revolving around Pei Ningyu, their political instincts ingrained since childhood compelling them to vie for his favor.
Yet now, Pei Ningyu would rather play with some stray mutt than spare a few words for the people he’d known all his life.
The distance between them had never been greater.
For a moment, Gu Shize couldn’t put his feelings into words. Watching Pei Ningyu walk away without a second thought, resentment festered in his chest.
The others, too, seemed unsettled by Pei Ningyu’s departure. Silence stretched between them, the atmosphere turning icy.
After a long pause, someone finally spoke. “What kind of trash is Yin Xishu, anyway? Groveling all day like he’s got no spine. Only Ningyu would tolerate him.”
Another scoffed, rolling his eyes. “But he knows how to be a dog. Why don’t you try kneeling and kissing ass too? Maybe Ningyu would like you then.”
Gu Shize’s expression darkened further, his voice dripping with cold fury. “Enough. Have you no shame?”
Everyone rubbed their noses, feeling both awkward and rather bored.
Their argument grew increasingly dull since the person involved couldn’t possibly respond.
The gathering ended, and everyone went their separate ways.
